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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27038746">Guppies</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrinceOfUchiha/pseuds/PrinceOfUchiha'>PrinceOfUchiha</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst with a Happy Ending, Deidara and Itachi are the babies of the family even if they won't admit it, Don't worry they aren't really related, F/M, Family, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, He stole some DNA and made children without their parents consent, Hidan is the bad-influence uncle, Hurt/Comfort, Kakuzu is the grumpy grandpa, Kisame is the big brother, Konan is the mom, M/M, Nagato is the dad, Now Itachi and Kisame are stuck trying to parent, Orochimaru is a bad dad, Plus convincing the kids they didn't purposely leave them with Orochimaru, Takashi and Sho have lots of trauma, Takashi and Sho will probably get more love than they know what to do with tbh, The akatsuki is a family, They just care about each other, They're angry kids but they just need a hug, orochimaru is a snake</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 18:28:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>14,922</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27038746</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrinceOfUchiha/pseuds/PrinceOfUchiha</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Pain told Itachi and Kisame that they were going on a mission to finally end Orochimaru, they hadn't really minded. What they did mind, though, was that Orochimaru apparently stole some of their DNA and created their children in test tubes without their knowledge. </p><p>It doesn't help that the teens seem to think that they willingly gave them away to Orochimaru for vessel and experimentation purposes. </p><p>Yeah, Orochimaru was dead meat, and there wasn't a chance in hell they were leaving these kids behind. The only issue was how to convince the two that they wouldn't kill them. </p><p>This parenting business was hard already.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Deidara/Sasori (Naruto), Hidan/Kakuzu (Naruto), Hoshigaki Kisame/Uchiha Itachi, Konan/Nagato | Pain</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>60</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Bitter Confirmation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>-This will be the origin story for my newest OCs: Takashi and Sho, sons of Kisame and Itachi. Descriptions will be given in-story, but if you'd like a clearer image, I have art/cosplays up on my Instagram (Prince_Of_Uchiha) of them.</p><p>-Though the first chapter includes a large amount of fighting, I will warn that this story is mostly about them growing together as a family. So, in other words, this isn't really a combat-focused story. It will have fighting in it, but it won't be the main focus. </p><p>-I'm not very experienced with writing combat scenes, so feel free to drop any constructive criticism in the reviews. Thank you to anyone who does, and I hope you all enjoy the story!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Akatsuki hadn't expected it to be such a hard fight. </p><p>They had thought that with the entire group working to fight that damn snake, they could defeat him easily. They had even taken the time to hunt down his base beforehand, hoping to have the edge of a complete surprise attack. Unfortunately, it seemed that he was as persistent as ever. </p><p>The fight had been going on for hours on end, their team working to tear him apart, piece by piece. They had used every weapon in their arsenal, and it was easy to see as they eyed the gruesome sight of the once all-powerful sannin. The man was covered from head to toe in burns from Deidara's explosions, Itachi's Amaterasu only worsening his sorry state. His already burnt and crusted skin was barely recognizable with the thousands of small cuts from Konan and Kisame. The two had made it so that he barely had any of his flawless pale skin to show-- he had been a mess, up until he had shed his mortal body. </p><p>The grotesque shinobi had surprised them all when he had begun to convulse. They had almost thought victory was theirs, up until they heard his patronizing laughter. The man, half knelt over, had suddenly thrown his head back, snakes slipping through his eyes, limbs falling off as they transformed into hundreds of white snakes. The repulsive sight had almost made Deidara sick. </p><p>Their repugnance was short-lived, however, the group having to focus on the sudden feeling of anguish as the small snakes slithered together, clumping atop of each other until they formed into one large beast. So this was Orochimaru's true form, now that he had forsaken his human skin. This...creature...was all that was left of the man's soul. Even Kakuzu found his brows twisting together in utter disgust as they continued their onslaught of attacks. The sooner this poor excuse of an individual came to an end, the better. </p><p>As Konan's paper tsunami surrounded the tips of his tail, tearing the flesh from the bone piece by piece, she pushed, "You're nearly finished, foul snake." her amber eyes showing not a speck of pity for the man she had known so long. After all, it wasn't as though he had ever shown her or Pain any mercy. He'd been a thorn in their side since the very moment they had met. She was more than eager to rid the world of his evil presence.  As such, the woman pushed on despite her chakra being so dried up that she could barely afford to hover at this point, let alone fly. Her shoulders heaved as they forced out her dry breaths, chest rising and falling heavily. She refused to stop until he was nothing more than a pile of bones in this old lab, forgotten and dismissed by the rest of the world. </p><p>The woman didn't receive much response, the members too focused on taking the snake down at the moment to bother. The words were a source of encouragement none the less, Pain nodding firmly as he set his six paths of pain as guards for his allies. They each protected one of the members, the only exceptions being Hidan and Kakuzu due to their immortality. His torn arms were sore as he heaved the corpses to do his bidding, blood slowly sliding out of his injuries as he moved his arms all at once to prevent any holes in their defense. They had fought too long and too hard for things to end now. He refused to have them fail after all this time. </p><p>Orochimaru had to be defeated for the organization's safety, yes, but Pain would be lying if he said he didn't have additional drives. Even after all this time, he could hear Orochimaru's bored and idle words. 'Shall we kill these children', the man had asked, all those years ago. Had it not been for Master Jiraiya, the man would have killed them without so much as a second glance. Pain had never been able to stand the man and his insufferable apathy for human life. Pain was what kept them alive-- it was what made them human. Orochimaru's selfish desire for eternal life was unbearable. Who was he, to decide that he deserved to live forever when he had already taken so much from the rest of humanity with his barbaric experiments. </p><p>Deidara growled out in agreement with Konan as he covered his face to avoid the foul poison that seeped from the shredded snake skins, "It had better almost be done, I'm getting tired of this shit." his body tensing in reaction to the toxins. He felt his body numbing over, his pulse picking up in distress as he hacked out dry coughs. He gripped his clay combs between his fingers, hissing out, "Kisame, stop with the sword! There's something in those snake skins that's screwing with my chest!" he demanded, taking deep breaths as he saw the condescending look on Orochimaru's face.</p><p>It was quickly wiped off by Kisame, who brought Samehada down on his chest swiftly. Orochimaru's expression warped into one of anger and pain, the man clearly displeased as Kisame worked to turn him inside out. "What, you want me to just stand back for a moment and let him bite into me because you're having a little allergy problem?!" his voice taunting as he spoke to the younger Akatsuki member. Though, speaking of which, he was feeling a little numb around the shoulders for some reason? </p><p>He was pulled out of his thoughts as he felt a hand on the back of his robe, Itachi jerking him back lightly, away from Orochimaru. It was by no means strong enough to force Kisame back, but the mist ninja was smart enough to know Itachi wouldn't do so without reason. The younger man had his coat over his mouth, commanding, "Everyone, get back. It's the blood." the former Uchiha prodigy spoke firmly, the rest of the Akatsuki easily listening with the exception of a few complaints from Hidan. "Pain and Sasori can use their corpses to fight up close, but the rest of us need to stay back to avoid being paralyzed."</p><p>He was satisfied as Pain nodded in agreement, their leader agreeing immediately. They focused on attacking from afar, Deidara sending bombs while Itachi set off his Amaterasu on the snake's bones that were being stripped of their meat by Konan. His eyes were stinging, his vision blurring as he tried to focus on seeing straight. Blood oozed down either side of his face, the man having to blink away the bits that clumped in the corner of his eyes. His flames flickered on and off as he did so, but Itachi focused on making as much progress as possible. They needed to finish this without having any casualties, or at the very least, as few as possible. </p><p>He could feel Kisame's heavy weight beside him, the Hoshigaki's chest rising and falling with difficulty. His defined forearms were covered in sweat as he wiped them against his forehead, Akatsuki coat forsaken in hopes of giving him some room to breathe. Once he had caught his breath, the man had added to the attacks, sending water bullets towards Orochimaru, who was currently slithering around the room, pouncing at anyone unfortunate enough to be too close.</p><p>They couldn't help but feel an inkling of dread as he slithered around the room, pouncing them one by one. They pushed down the desire to retreat or act too hastily, keeping as calm and steadily as possible. They were so close. </p><p>Sasori could practically taste victory, though it was a bit discouraging as Orochimaru swung around his side, biting him on the small of the back with his large fangs, which impaled his plastic body. Had he been human, he would surely have poison coursing through his veins by now. None the less, it did make it increasingly difficult to control his movements, now that he had a gaping hole in his chest. He hissed in annoyance as Orochimaru slung his body against a wall, feeling parts of himself shattering. </p><p>Hidan hissed to him, "On, for fucks sake, do I gotta do everything by myself?" rolling up his sleeves as he raised his scythe, ready to tear open without any concern for the poison. He was immortal, a little poison wouldn't hurt him that much! </p><p>His attempts were futile as he felt Kakuzu jerk him backward, much less gentle than Itachi had done to Kisame. The elder immortal seemed irritated at his partners, growling out, "Sit your ass down before you hurt yourself. Itachi's almost got it done." the Uchiha having used his ninja wires to pin Orochimaru's half-destroyed form down with the help of Konan. They finally had the snake pinned. </p><p>So why didn't he look nervous? </p><p>No, what's more, why did he look so /smug/? The condescending look in the snake's eyes made even Kisame's blood run cold. The hairs on the back of Itachi's neck rose slightly as he felt a warm burst of hair drifting around them. A feeling of dread overcame the Akatsuki, the air growing heavy as heated fog lingered around them. Was there some sort of secondary poison they hadn't been aware of? </p><p>Deidara let out a growl as he felt something on his leg, the other members quickly joining in his startlement. "What the fuck!?" Hidan bellowed, much to the annoyance of the others. Now was not the time to panic-- not when they each had what seemed like hundreds of baby snakes wrapped around their ankles, slowly slithering up their cloaks and over their bodies. Besides, Hidan was the last one who should be worrying about being poisoned.</p><p>While most of the Akatsuki had no idea what in the hell these snakes were, they were smart enough to know it was idiotic to threaten them. </p><p>Feeling the snakes slithering across his throat, too little too close for comfort, Itachi spoke calmly with a stiff posture, "What are these?" trying to keep his words low as to not set off the creatures. His heart beating wildly in his chest, he was well aware that he was unfortunately on the poison-vulnerable side of the Akatsuki. </p><p>Kisame was the only one able to give an answer, the man narrowing his eyes as he looked at the stripped snakes. He recognized them immediately-- after all, they were native to the land of mist. One of the most poisonous water snakes in the world. His lips felt painfully dry as he gave his partner the unfortunate answer, "Faint-Banded Sea Krait," resisting the urge to throw them off him immediately. "Deadly." </p><p>Suddenly, Orochimaru's smugness made a lot more sense. The Akatsuki were prepared for a lot of things. Jutsus, reanimated corpses, clones, mutations; anything. They were so confident in their abilities that they had lowered their guard. Now they would surely pay the price, Itachi mentally grimaced as Orochimaru dragged on with amusement, "So, the boys have finally come to see their father." his coos virulent in tone. </p><p>The Akatsuki mentally hissed at this. When had Orochimaru had children?</p><p>Just as the Akatsuki was sure they'd be down a few members by the end of this fight, the group thinking over any possible ways out of this, the snakes slithered down to the ground and around Orochimaru. The members let out a light breath, Deidara subconsciously holding onto his throat as he savored each breath. He groaned out, "Holy fuck." eyeing the snakes wearily as they gathered in front of their enemy. </p><p>The snakes, climbing atop each other, soon merged into two beings. Both shinobi stood side by side in front of Orochimaru, glaring the Akatsuki down. They had a distinct look about them-- both of them sharing shaded azure hair and dim black eyes which seemed to gaze into their souls as they launched forward, ready to defend Orochimaru as soon as they appeared.</p><p>Pain gave his sharp order as he saw them moving in to attack, "Kisame, you handle that one, Itachi, you handle the other." figuring it was best to have Kisame focus on what looked to be his own clansmen. That, and the boy with turquoise braids seemed to be watching Itachi as though he was meeting a demigod. Hopefully, with the boy being so enthralled by Itachi, it would give the Uchiha an easy kill. "Everyone else, focus on getting to Orochimaru." </p><p>The members hastily moved to do as they were told, the only response being a bit of complaining from Hidan. Pain pointedly ignored his words as he moved to get to Orochimaru, leaving the teens to one of their most capable duos.</p><p>By now, the blue-tinted boy on the left had easily reached for his sword, launching himself towards Kisame with a bold offense. His long indigo hair cascaded behind him as he stepped forward with more grace than most swordsmen his age would be capable of producing.  </p><p>Kisame smirked down at the kid who was probably half his size, if that, watching as he moved in for the kill. It was fairly obvious that the kid was of Hoshigaki decent. In fact, it was most likely that both the teens were. Not that Kisame particularly minded ending his own clansmen.</p><p>While the teen had lifted his sword over his head, ready to bring it down upon the man's chest, the elder shinobi's sword had easily lifted up to block the attack from reaching its target. The sound of swords clashing echoed, the teen putting all his strength into his strikes. The recoil from the block had been enough to knock the boy back, forcing him to plant his feet firmly in the ground with to avoid falling backward. The boy grunted in disapproval, sword held up firmly in defense as they circled each other. The shark man's grin showed off his sharp teeth at this show of provocation, Samehada purring in his hold as he leaned in towards the teen's face. "Well, well, well. A little guppy has come to protect his master, it seems." voice filled with amusement at the attempted attack. </p><p>Kisame watched as the young teen failed to resist freezing at his taunts. "Oh, how boring." If one runty swing was all it took for the boy to get scared, this fight would be over quickly. He never did care for needlessly long battles. Especially when his opponent was easily frightened. It took all the fun out of it!</p><p>The elder Hoshigaki brought his sword up, a bored frown lacing his lips as he swung down at the boy. He wouldn't waste his time if this was going to be dull.</p><p>Just as he was ready to end the teen's life without so much as a second glance, he heard the clash of blades. Kisame looked on at the boy with an unimpressed look, the teen's sword held up over his head to block Samehada. The younger clansmen had his teeth gritted, looking up at Kisame with utter determination. Unbeknownst to Kisame, this was the moment the teen had been waiting for. For years, he had dreamt only of this moment. The time had finally come to meet him, and the boy would be damned if he was going to let the elder clansmen think he was weak. He was going to show this bastard just how strong he was. </p><p>So when he bit out, "Kisame Hoshigaki.", the words meant more to him than Kisame could ever imagine.</p><p>The only thing Kisame knew was that he thoroughly enjoyed the fact that he was so easily recognized, the elder Hoshigaki nodding with a smirk, "The one and only." He removed the pressure off his sword, the boy doing the same as they each took a step back to plan their next strike. The boy was the first one to make the move, stepping forward and sending his sword flying towards Kisame's abdomen. He moved quickly, twisting his body and moving as though the sword were an extension of his own limbs. Kisame smirked lightly in amusement as he blocked it once more, this time taking the extra step to knock the sword from the teen's hand and onto the ground, elbowing him in the back of the head and forcing him forward as he reflexively looked towards where the sword had fallen. The boy took a step onward as he was pushed, gripping his head in pain but not missing a beat as he swung around to kick Kisame square in the jaw. </p><p>The elder ninja, not having been expecting such fast reflexes, felt his head snap to the side upon feeling the force of the kick. A bit of blood dripped from the side of his jaw, but he didn't pay it any mind, merely licking it up with a smirk as he eyed the boy. "From the look of things, it seems like you've come from the Hoshigaki clan as well." getting the upper hand briefly as the boy moved in for a second kick, grabbing his leg and flipping him harshly onto his back. Kisame stood over him, sword hovering above the boy's stomach in warning. </p><p>The boy's breath seemed to stop as he looked up at Kisame, their fight being so brief. He hadn't expected Kisame to get the upper hand so easily! He felt heat rising to his face, his mouth twisting into a glower as he looked up at the man, his back aching against the hard floor. His eyes snapped open so they were staring Kisame down, their dull black shifting into a pulsing red as he growled, "You're half right." his own sharp teeth coming into way as he offered a small growl. </p><p>Kisame recognized the design immediately-- a mangekyou Sharingan? How the hell was that possible!? Itachi had killed off all the Uchiha long ago, and this boy looked far too young to be from a time before the massacre. He had to force himself to steady, reestablishing his grip on Samehada as he held it over the boy. The elder Hoshigaki narrowed his eyes, sword now pointed at the boy's throat rather than his stomach. "Oh, really now?" he inquired, pushing, "Then who exactly are you, kid?" looking down on him with a mix of interest and skepticism. </p><p>The younger clansmen spoke through gritted teeth, "Takashi Uchiha-Hoshigaki." his head tilted up in pride despite his situation. He looked Kisame directly in the eye, eyeing the elder man, as though he were watching his every move, waiting for some sort of reaction. </p><p>Unfortunately for him, Kisame only seemed mildly amused at his response once he got over the initial shock. Kisame rested a foot on the boy's stomach, bellowing with laughter, "Hey, clan killer, looks like you missed one!" not noticing as Takashi's expression changed from searching to one of utter disappointment, humiliation, and unadulterated rage. </p><p>He took the elder ninja's amusement as a chance to lift his foot, kicking Kisame in the most unpleasant of places as he hissed out, "That's nothing to joke about, you bastard!". Takashi's shoulders trembling in fury as Kisame tried to regain his composure, the older man reflexively pulling away from him, howling out in pain. A string of curse words that Takashi hadn't even heard before left Kisame, the man's vocabulary as colorful as one would expect. He hadn't expected such an attack since, well, it was sinking too low even by most shinobi standards.</p><p>The teen didn't seem to intend to give Kisame a chance to recover, though. He reached for his sword, swiftly pushing his weight up off the ground as he ran towards the man. His eyes were no longer filled with a mix of awe and determination, rage overtaking him as he plunged his sword towards Kisame's throat.</p><p>Kisame had to force himself through his haze of pain as he clutched Takashi's wrist, holding it back as the teen slashed sloppily down again, his own rage fueling the tensions further. Kisame twisted Takashi's firearm, forcing the teen onto his knees if he wanted to avoid a broken bone. Kisame twisted it so that Takashi was forced to kneel on the ground, giving Kisame a moment to catch his breath. Fuck, this brat was squirmy.</p><p>0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0</p><p>Meanwhile, the braided boy had his mangekyou activated as well, heavy sweat trickling down his pale skin as he fought. He barely had any time to dodge Itachi's swift shuriken attacks, let alone send any of his own, he mentally cursed. He could hear Orochimaru's voice ringing in his ears, ordering him to hurry up or let Takashi handle it. </p><p>The boy was dodging like a pro but still found himself at the receiving end of many of the attacks, the shaped metal piercing his skin with minimal effort on Itachi's part. The teen accepted the blows, focusing on trying to hit Itachi at least once. </p><p>Itachi could tell the boy was trying, but it was clear that he lacked both the experience and the physical abilities required. It was almost sad to watch, Itachi noted, throwing a shuriken and watching it land sharply in his shoulder. The boy didn't even seem to flinch, his endurance quite impressive, at least. </p><p>None the less, Itachi would hate to drag out the teen's death longer than necessary. He knew he should get down to business and end it quickly, as to not make him suffer and more than was necessary. He steadied himself, looking at the braided teen calmly, his own mangekyou coming into the light. The boy seemed to freeze as he spotted it, a look of silent terror overcoming him. </p><p>This was only enhanced as his shoulders were set ablaze with the Amaterasu. Immediately, the determined look the boy had held when they were fighting with shuriken was replaced by one of utter panic.</p><p>His face scrunched up in pain, dropping the weapon he had been preparing to throw. Itachi dropped his as well, allowing his flames to consume the boy instead. Itachi felt his gut tighten as the teen took a step back, the boy reaching up to grab his burning shoulders on reflex. </p><p>Itachi watched as he knelt over, uneven heaves leaving the teen's chest as he looked up at Itachi with a look of utter betrayal and pain. Tears were welling in the teen's eyes, his head shaking back and forth as he laid on the floor, gripping his shoulders. A look of agony fell over his face, looking at Itachi as though he had just shattered every bit of hope he'd ever had. </p><p>Itachi felt his gut tighten further, the elder Uchiha having to push down his instincts as they screamed at him to set the fire out. He was a ninja. He was used to having to push down his pacifistic feelings, he reminded himself firmly. So why did this feel so wrong?</p><p>He watched the boy with a look of false indifference, noticing after a brief moment that something was wrong. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed something wrong with everyone in the room. They all seemed frozen mid-attack, none of them so much as blinking. </p><p>He felt himself unable to move as well, his mangekyou pulsing in his head. Everything seemed frozen. He quickly caught on-- he must be caught in one of the teen's mangekyou ability. He doubted it was a genjutsu, since he could easily see past the vast majority of them. </p><p>Pushing some chakra to his eyes, it was fairly easy to break out of the trance. He wasn't one for arrogance, but it was simply a fact that his mangekyou was far superior to the teens due to more experience and having had it longer. </p><p>As he broke through the ability, he noticed that his allies and Orochimaru still seemed frozen. The two boys were now moving, however. Itachi stayed still, mentally musing, so one of them must have some sort of time-altering ability. It seemed as though they had paused time, much to Itachi's interest. Even if it was far too weak to hold him, it was a useful ability to have. Such a shame that it would go to waste once they were dead. </p><p>His flames seemed to have paused mid-burn on the boy, who was currently taking deep breaths and turning his head to eye his own shoulders. His hands were brought up to his chest, the braids on either side of his face shadowing his anguished expression. Tears had welled up in the teen's eyes, his breathing inconsistent and rough. He looked torn between heartbroken and resentful, his eyes wide with hysteria. </p><p>Takashi had squirmed his way out from under Kisame's hold, the teen wearily making his way over to his brother as he saw his distressed state. Takashi's mangekyou were no longer active, so Itachi quickly gathered that this must be the braided boy's doing. </p><p>The young Hoshigaki cradled his wounded arm to his chest, his own eyes filled with resentment and bitter triumph. He used his good hand to lightly rub the other's back. "Don't cry, Sho. We already talked about this. We shouldn't have expected anything different."</p><p>"I know," Sho muttered, hands moving up to grip his own hair as he hissed,  "I just..." he looked down slightly, "I just wanted him to be wrong. I wanted him to be lying." he steadied his breaths, trying to suppress the whimpers that built up in his throat, "But he wasn't. They really are monsters. We're made from...monsters" he shuddered, clenching his jaw as he glared into the air in front of him. "No wonder they gave us to Orochimaru. They really don't care at all." gritting his teeth as he looked upwards, blinking away his tears as he scowled at the ceiling, frustration bubbling. "They were going to kill us. They don't even care."</p><p>Itachi was a bit offset by this-- Orochimaru had told these kids about the Akatsuki? He couldn't particularly argue against them being perceived as monsters, but why was Orochimaru talking about them? Why did Sho wish for it to be a lie? What kinds of beasts would give their children to a snake such as Orochimaru. He understood what they were implying, of course, but even he had trouble believing what they were hinting at. </p><p>Takashi didn't seem aware of his mental struggles, the teen moving over to glare at Itachi despite being unaware of his break-through. The boy was looking at Itachi with loathing and outrage, thinking he was still in the mangekyou time pause like the others. He gripped the front of Itachi's robes, his heart not really in the attack as he hissed out, "Of course they don't care. Why should they? They're both just cold-blooded monsters who don't care about anyone but themselves." Itachi could see Sho setting a hand on Takashi's shoulder, the braided boy trying to calm the others fit of rage. Takashi vigorously shook Itachi's robes, a cry of anguish leaving his lips despite his words. "They don't care about us. Orochimaru doesn't care about us. No one wants anything to do with us, so why should we want anything to do with them!?" he demanded, roughly letting go of Itachi's cloak as he clenched his fists by his side, eyes once more a fiery red as his emotions surged to the surface. His shoulders were heaving, Sho looking conflicted on how to comfort him. </p><p>Finally, the braided teen seemed to make a choice. He spoke certainly, "Let's run." Takashi whipping his head around to look at Sho as he heard his words. What? "Even if everyone else is indifferent to us, we still have each other. We can just." he bit his lip as he wiped away the last remaining tears. "We can leave them to fight each other. If the Akatsuki wins, Orochimaru will be dead, and they obviously don't care enough to come after us. If Orochimaru wins, he'll come after us, but it'll take him a long time. He'll be badly injured. Kabuto is gone-- without him, it'll take months for him to recover. We could be halfway across the county by then!" he insisted, "We could go to the Hidden Mist! Or the land of lightning! We could be long gone by the time he's after us. He'll have to cut his losses eventually."</p><p>Takashi frowned, seeming to come down from his adrenaline high as he crossed his arms with a look of doubt. "That sounds awfully risky. Even if we do escape, we won't have any idea how to survive on our own. Orochimaru's as shitty as they come, but he has supplied us with everything we need. Food, clothing, shelter. How will we even get money to keep ourselves alive?" lightly kicking at the floor. "I don't want to put you at risk by stealing."</p><p>Shaking his head back and forth lightly, Sho crossed his arms to match Takashi. "It'd say it's worth the risk. Getting away from him has always been a priority. We can't let the perfect chance just slip by. We don't have anyone else to place bets on." the teen eyeing Itachi wistfully.</p>
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<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Why Should I Let You Live?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sho's Mangekyou ability had ended quickly after the two had come to the bitter agreement. They couldn't risk staying around Orochimaru nor the Akatsuki any longer. Both had made it clear to the boys that there was no future for them if they stuck around. As much as Sho had wanted Orochimaru's stories of Kisame and Itachi to be lies, it seemed like the truth had revealed itself. With the way Kisame seemed to ignore Takashi's name as though he'd never heard it, or Itachi's apathetic gaze as he burned Sho, it wasn't a stretch to say they'd done the horrid things Orochimaru had described to them over the years. Then, even if they hadn't, it was clear that they had no empathy to spare. </p><p>Takashi half wondered if the two would have taken further notice of them if he and Sho had been stronger while fighting. He wondered if perhaps his inability to scathe Kisame had left the elder clansmen disappointed in his strength. He was sure that if he had been training with Orochimaru, the man would have chided him for the way he carried himself in the fight-- immaturely and with the attitude of a child. His face warmed as a wave of embarrassment flowed through him. Even if Takashi didn't really know the man, the thought still left a dull ache in his chest to accompany the fluster. The teen quickly decided it was not a feeling he enjoyed-- it was like someone was strangling his heart from within his chest.   </p><p>He hesitantly pushed this down as he saw his brother preparing to release his hold over time. He didn't want to think about that, so he tried to focus on what was happening then and there. Sho seemed to be struggling with his hold over his eyes, the younger of the two taking deep breaths as he tried to get his wired emotions under control. Takashi rested a hand on Sho's side, careful to avoid any injured or tender spots. All he had to do was get out of the village with Sho, for now. He had to ignore the burning sensations that rose in his chest every time he glanced over at Kisame or Itachi. </p><p>He watched as the younger teen wiped the now dried tears from his face, evening out his breaths as he straightened his clothes. He smoothed over his hair, shaking his head back and forth as he felt the burning of his eyes.  They pulsed, blood beading up in the corners. </p><p>Itachi eyed the two, debating whether to follow them or seek Kisame's assistance with this whole ordeal first. He could see the blood welling up in Sho's eyes and found himself wondering just how much he had used his Mangakyou. He wasn't sure he'd like the answer once he found out. </p><p>His debate was rushed as the world around Itachi resumed, the Uchiha quickly noticing that his Amaterasu was still burning brightly upon the braided boy's shoulder. It had resumed now that time had resumed, its black flames ready to engulf the boy in the blink of an eye. Before he even had a moment to set it out, Sho was on the move. Itachi watched as the boy moved to speed past him, able to move easier now that he wasn't busy restricting time. Sho's movements were quick but sloppy, the teen seeming to have trouble as he made for the door. Itachi would have to guess that his Mangekyou took a lot out of him. </p><p>The two Uchiha-Hoshigaki hybrids moved in union, sidestepping Itachi as best they could while racing for the nearest exit. They focused on the door, determined to make their way out of the combat zone as quickly as possible. Itachi could hear shouts of confusion from the other Akatsuki members, no one in the room knowing what was happening besides Itachi and the boys. He could only imagine what it looked like from an outside perspective, seeing them seemingly transport from one side of the room, then over to the other, only to flee upon regrouping! It would hardly make any sense. </p><p>Itachi grit his teen, turning in pace with them as he called, "Wait." his voice firm and calm despite his flailing nerves. He took ahold of Takashi's arm as gently as he could, doing his best to hold the struggling teen back without harming him. Takashi's arm that had been injured from Kisame was held up to his chest, his good hand yanking against Itachi's hold in an attempt to flee. His movements were rash and uncoordinated, his arm straining under Itachi's firm grip. Takashi seemed conflicted between fighting Itachi off and resisting turning his head to check on Sho.</p><p>The elder Uchiha focused on keeping him in place, not wanting him to run off while he shut down his Amaterasu. He rather not burn Sho any more than he already had, nor did he want to cause Takashi's arm any strain. At the same time, he needed to make sure none of the other Akatsuki members attacked. Then it'd be an absolute nightmare if they somehow got away. It would cause so many unnecessary issues.</p><p>While trying to juggle all these issues, Itachi felt Takashi swing around to swipe at him, the young shinobi aiming for his face with his nails. The teen let out a growl as he missed, clawing at Itachi's wrists and face with his damaged arm. Itachi didn't blame him, but the kid would probably regret that later, once the adrenaline wore down. Knowing this, he grabbed the attacking hand, easily seizing control of both his arms as he pinned them together. It was the best way to avoid him somehow hurting himself or Itachi, he figured.</p><p>Takashi looked somewhere between enraged and nervous as he felt his arms locked away, the teen furiously trying to rip his hands away from Itachi's grip. He leaned his body backward to try to pull Itachi forward with his weight, foot lifting up to kick at the elder shinobi. "Let go of me!" He ordered, Sho guarding Takashi's back as he saw Kisame nearing in on them. Itachi mentally cursed as he remembered that Kisame had no way of knowing all the details now. He watched Sho take a step back as Kisame's intimidating figure came closer and closer, the elder Hoshigaki not looking amused as he swung Samehada over his shoulder. </p><p>Itachi mentally cursed, the tensions meaning that much more now that he knew who these two were and why they were so ready to run. He hated to do this, but it was the best way in the long run. It would get the teens out of harm's way until he could explain to Kisame that they were not on the cutting board. He regretfully let go of Takashi's arms, grimly watching as Takashi took a step back, balancing himself and crouching deeply in warning as he tried to steady himself. He was glaring Itachi down, seeming like he couldn't pick whether to fight Itachi or Kisame first. </p><p>The teens and Kisame's harsh battle mentality was broken as they heard Itachi's tired words. "Kisame, let them go. We need to focus on Orochimaru." the elder Uchiha knowing mid-fight was not the best time to talk things out with them. Especially not with the rest of the Akatsuki so close. Besides, it was true. They still needed to deal with Orochimaru and take the information they had come for. Along with this, Itachi had a thing or two he needed to ask him about, if the Akatsuki could get him pinned down for long enough without killing him. </p><p>Luckily, the two seemed more than willing to take the chance, darting away before Itachi's lips could cease. They scrambled for the door, not looking back as they focused on escaping the room. Itachi watched on with a hint of grief, their desperation triggering something inside him that he had previously only felt with Sasuke. This wistful look of familiarity didn't go unnoticed by Pain, who watched on with interest. The man had never seen such a look on Itachi, but he knew it well enough. It was a feeling he himself had forsaken long ago. Perhaps that was why he didn't have the heart to rebuttal Itachi's order. He wasn't sure what exactly was going on, but he had a steady enough idea.</p><p>Meanwhile, Itachi knew Kisame wasn't very happy about this. Then again, Kisame never did like Itachi disturbing his battles. The younger of the two eyed his partner as he saw his frown, giving a silent promise to explain later. A feeling of relief overcame Itachi as Kisame nodded, seemingly willing to accept this for now. That wasn't going to be a fun explanation to give when the time came. </p><p>Itachi was forced to focus back on the battlefield as he heard the hisses of fury behind him, Orochimaru not pleased to see the boy's abandoning him to his death. Though Itachi knew his displeasure of their departure was for a completely different reason than his own. The snake cursed after them, "Get back here, you ingrates! Don't you dare leave me here after everything I've done for you! You'll suffer for this!" his heated words being cut off by Itachi's shinning Mangekyou, the Uchiha taking ominously calm steps towards the man as he glared him down. The rest of the Akatsuki knowing all too well that that distance was required when Itachi held that murderous look in his eye.</p><p>The Uchiha glided forward, his Mangekyou streaming thin crimson rivers down his cheeks as they pulsed in his head. He didn't bother to evade the fiend's blood, feeling the slight numbing of his body as he reached out to grip Orochimaru's disgusting snake-like jaw. His nails dug into the man's scaled skin, Orochimaru's pupil dilating slightly as Itachi sent an enraged glower. "We need to talk, Orochimaru." his Tsukuyomi beginning to unfold as soon as the brief warning left his lips. </p><p>Itachi easily crafted a new room for them to 'talk' in, having previously refrained from using it since it took up so much energy. This wasn't just something he could let slide, though. That, and he might as well ask about Sasuke while he was at it. Orochimaru had a lot to answer for, Itachi noted, using his Tsukuyomi to bind Orochimaru up in mid-air. He had changed Orochimaru's form back into a human-like one so it would be easier to deal with him for now. </p><p>Once it was all said and done, Itachi icily starred the snake down. He could see the false look of confusion on Orochimaru's face, which only made a tingle of rage through Itachi's spine. He stood in front of the elder shinobi, looking down at the sannin. He cut through any formalities, not seeing much point in them, since Orochimaru would be dead soon anyway. </p><p>Itachi spoke calmly, though his words were iced with warning. "You've been here before, so I'll cut through any explanations." he narrowed his eyes as he easily demanded, "Who are those kids, and how did they...come to be." already knowing the teen's side of things, but doubting Orochimaru had bestowed them with the complete truth.</p><p>Orochimaru watched the former leaf ninja, idly leaning his head back as he glanced him over. "Have you become hard of hearing, Itachi dear?" the snake speaking boredly despite the circumstances. He felt his chest tighten, most likely Itachi's doing, he mused. He reflexively stiffened under Itachi's demanding presence, unable to relieve the stress of his ribs. He knew all too well that this was Itachi's world-- whatever he decided was set in stone. He gritted his teeth, distasteful of his current situation. It would make things far more difficult. After a moment of brief hesitance, he repeated idly, "Takashi and Sho Uchiha-Hoshigaki."</p><p>Unfortunately for him, the pressure on his chest only increased as Itachi lightly leaned in, his Sharingan pulsing as his lips formed a tight frown. "How, Orochimaru?" his tone almost condescending, if Orochimaru didn't know any better.</p><p>The snake mimicked Itachi's expression, clenching his fingers together as he tilted his head to the side. He licked his lips, looking the younger shinobi down as though he were prey. </p><p>Itachi felt a ping of annoyance ring in his mind. How could Orochimar possibly think he was in any situation to be predatory right now? He took a deep breath, inhaling through his nose and exhaling through his mouth. Of course Orochimaru would feel superior, even in this situation. When it came down to it, it was Itachi who needed something from him. </p><p>The Uchiha doubted Orochimaru would be so willing to give the information up, though. After all, Orochimaru never did anything unless it would help him in the end. That, or unless he felt like being particularly cruel. That was one thing Itachi had never understood about the man. His need to cause harm seemed to increase daily, his malice out of control. </p><p>He half wondered if the elder shinobi had been born with so much hate, or if it had been nurtured over time. Based on the way Orochimaru seemed obsessed with causing suffering all around him, nurturing the darkness of others, he would guess the latter option. </p><p>Something had to of pushed Orochimaru to the point where he was easily able to commit such atrocities without thinking there was anything wrong with it. How could he cage and manipulate other life forces without so much as a second glance? The way he forced life upon the dead, yet stole it from the living was incomprehensible to Itachi. </p><p>Over the years, even since Orochimaru had told him to end his life on that fateful day, Itachi had thought about such things obsessively. Over the years, he had come to one bitter conclusion, one that answered his question, yet left him completely unsatisfied. It must just be something humans are born with, this insatiable innate desire to spread suffering. </p><p>Perhaps everyone was born with this small pit of malice, the world around them encouraging whether it spreads or fills with time. Had someone encouraged Orochimaru to become so hate-filled, spreading the dark pit in his soul? Itachi didn't really have to ask to know the answer. Of course they had. This world by its very nature a festering breeding ground for hatred. </p><p>Itachi never did care for how Pain went about his plans, but he did hold a certain respect for his philosophy. As wrong as Pain was for wanting to have everyone suffering, his point still stood tall behind his actions. Suffering was an endless cycle, each person so eager to shove their hatred onto whomsoever ends up being an easy target. It was sickening, but it seemed to be in humanity's nature. Hatred breeds hatred, it was simply how things worked. </p><p>Which was why he himself had been so adamant on Sasuke choosing to aim his anger at him, rather than anyone else. Itachi didn't think it was possible to end the cycle of hatred, but he did hope that by accepting all that he could from others, it would leave the attackers pure. That's what he told himself, each time he encouraged Sasuke to breed his hatred. </p><p>Unfortunately, Orochimaru seemed to be a special case. No matter how much he lashed out, it seemed nothing would cleanse him. Orochimaru was the image of darkness. He didn't seem to hold a shred of goodness within him. That much was easy to see as Itachi thought about the transformation he had taken not too long ago. Orochimaru's form didn't even resemble a human being anymore. He had torn himself down, piece by piece, all in the hopes of gaining more power. There was nothing left in his heart to destroy, this much Itachi was sure of. Orochimaru's pit had consumed him completely.</p><p>Orochimaru felt a sense of unease at Itachi's silence, the sannin watching as the younger shinobi moved forward, hand reaching outwards. Orochimaru braced himself for some sort of attack, but was startled as he felt Itachi almost delicately grasp of his jaw. Unable to resist his instincts, Orochimaru swallowed down his nerves as he was forced to look into Itachi's eyes. There was always something so unique about the young Uchiha's eyes. They were always so empty, yet so full. So calm, yet so discomposed. So brutal, yet so caring. It was truely a mystery that Orochimaru never did find himself able to understand. </p><p>He heard Itachi's easy voice, a light sigh leaving the Uchiha's lips. "You're empty." the words sliced through any thoughts that had been lingering in Orochimaru's mind. "You take and take, never giving anything back to the world besides bitter hate. You're a hindrance to the rest of humanity. Since you've made it clear that you have no interest in answering my questions, I suppose there's no reason left for you to live." the irony of the words not missing Orochimaru. "It's time to lay your greedy soul to rest." his words calm and soothing, as if he weren't telling Orochimaru that he was about to end his life. </p><p>His Sharingan pulsed, Orochimaru stiffening as he felt the pulsing of his own heartbeat falling into line with Itachi's eyes. As Itachi prepared to end Orochimaru off quickly, knowing the man was not suited for this world, Orochimaru's mind raced to think of any possible uses he may have. The snake clenched his fists, teeth barring together as he heard his heartbeat loudly strum against his ears. </p><p>Itachi's lips tilted into a frown as Orochimaru's racing look turned to a small smirk. A grin never meant anything good when it came from him. </p><p>Orochimaru tilted his head to the side slightly, asking with false curiosity, "Very well. I do wonder how you'll ever find our boys, though." he hummed out, words smooth as they left his foul mouth. "Their bodies may have been created utilizing you and Kisame, but I can't say the same for their cognizances." he smirked in amusement, "I must wonder whether or not you'll be able to find them, given your limited knowledge on how their minds work."</p><p>The snake felt amusement run through his system at Itachi's narrowed eyes, the Uchiha clearly suppressing his annoyance at the information tease. </p><p>Unfortunately, even if it had been without Itachi's say, Orochimaru was right. Itachi didn't know much about the teens. He mentally ran over all the information he had on them, disgruntled by how little there was. All he knew was that they were supposedly his sons and that they had seemingly been 'raised' by Orochimaru. Likewise, they seemed to be under the impression that it had been a choice of him and Kisame to leave them with the snake. Then, finally, their fighting styles. It had been fairly obvious that Sho severely lacked training, the braided boy not able to land a single hit on him. Then there was Takashi, a decent fighter yet he seemed to barely even attempt any blocking at all. </p><p>That, and the teens' emotional drive alone was almost enough to convince Itachi they were his and Kisames' children. Sho had so easily been overwhelmed that he had to pause time mid-battle to bawl his eyes out, for heaven's sake. Then Takashi had gotten so enraged by Kisame's taunts that he had practically thrown a toddler tantrum mid-swordfight, based on the sloppy and furious strikes he had sent at his elder clansmen. </p><p>Takashi hissing and grabbing at his Akatsuki coat, seeming somewhere between crying or hitting him, definitely didn't give him any more confidence in their emotional stability. Nor did Sho's suggestion just to run away and hope no one came after them. </p><p>As much as he hated to admit it, Orochimaru was right. He had no idea where they would go. They had mentioned the Mist and Lightning, but that didn't mean they'd actually go. They had just been listing off ideas in the panic of the moment, from what Itachi could tell. </p><p>It was clear that the only thing driving Takashi and Sho right now was fear, sadness, and anger. Itachi might not have known them long, but even he could tell the only goal they had right now was to get away from the surrounding threats. Which, to them, would include both Orochimaru and the Akatsuki at minimum.</p><p>While Itachi was fairly good in the tracking department, having someone around who knew the targets always made things a lot easier. His lips dipped into a frown as he eyed the amused Orochimaru, letting out a light sigh. It would be quite the annoyance, but it would undoubtedly lead to quicker success if he brought Orochimaru along. He doubted Orochimaru would give him the insight needed otherwise. </p><p>Even then, he still considered leaving the snake here to die. It would take a lot of work to bring him along-- Kisame and he would have to keep a constant watch on him to make sure he didn't attack or escape. Not to mention the struggle of having the rest of the Akatsuki agree to let him go after such a long and hard battle. </p><p>That, and he didn't like the way Takashi and Sho were so desperate to escape. What had Orochimaru done to make them feel so bitter towards him if the man had supposedly been playing the father role all these years? Itachi didn't really want to think about it. Nor the idea of what the snake had probably done to Sasuke during his stay with the sannin.</p><p>The very idea of keeping such a horrid man by his side was sickening to him. "I suppose it will take some time." Itachi's eyes narrowed slightly, "Though, I don't see why there would be a need to rush." After all, surely they had been trained to keep their head down while they were hurt, right? They wouldn't go and do something foolish after a big fight like this. Or so Itachi liked to think. </p><p>Perhaps he was being a bit too optimistic there, though. Orochimaru seemed just as unconvinced as he was at the idea of the two being able to handle themselves, the sannin raising a brow slightly in an almost judgemental fashion. "That's quite a bold take on the situation, considering who you're talking about." </p><p>Itachi resisted pinching the bridge of his nose as he heard Orochimaru continuing on, the sannin rolling his eyes lightly as he spoke. "It'll be a wonder if Takashi isn't dead by the time you find him, given his obsession with protecting that hopeless brother of his. Or, better yet, I can already imagine them having to stop every two hours because Sho needs a break. It'll be an achievement in itself if they make it to the Land of Mist or Leaf alive, let alone surviving if they do." </p><p>The former Leaf ninja quirked a brow at this, questioning, "Mist or Leaf? What makes you think they'd go in those directions?" the snake giving another smirk that made Itachi's nerves silently flare. He easily understood the message. If he wanted the rest of his answers, he'd have to leave Orochimaru alive...for now.</p><p>As much as he detested the idea, the fact that Orochimaru probably knew them ten times more than he did remained. If he wanted the inside details, he'd have to bring Orochimaru along. It was the quickest way, and to put it bluntly, he wasn't sure he trusted the teens to stay alive until he and Kisame found them. </p><p>Itachi clenched his jaw slightly, looking over the snake as he spoke firmly, "I'll let you live for now on three conditions." he warned, "One, once I release you from the Tsukuyomi, you surrender to us without a fight. Two, you give Pain the information on the tailed beasts we're after." Orochimaru looked displeased, but didn't interrupt. "Three, you come with Kisame and I to find Takashi and Sho. You answer our questions about them. On the road." he added firmly. </p><p>Orochimaru pretended to lull it over, though it was fairly obvious this was the only way he would escape this encounter alive. Finally, he hissed out with a look of amusement, "Sounds good to me~" drawing out his words in the typical snake fashion that drove Itachi mad. </p><p>Finally, Itachi lifted the Tsukuyomi, though not before he added pointedly, "The moment you show any hint of breaking the deal, will be your last without warning."</p><p>Orochimaru didn't find it hard to believe him, the man nodding slightly as the world around them fell to pieces, reality shifting within a blink of the eye. He soon found the world around him reforming, Itachi's hold on his scaled skin coming into motion. </p><p>Itachi watched as Orochimaru dazily rooted himself, the Uchiha merely focusing on calming his pulsing sharingan. He blinked away the bits of blood that now pooled in his eyes, glancing over at Pain as he kept his tight grip on Orochimaru's chin. </p><p>He took a breath, feeling all eyes of the Akatsuki on him as he spoke. "He shouldn't put up a fight now." he spoke directly to Pain, musing, "He's agreed to give up all the information on the tailed beasts, which will make it a lot easier than having to dig through the entire village." knowing his final point would be a difficult one to make. "...No one kills him until he's done helping me with a little...project."</p><p>Itachi ignored the enraged shouts and complaints from those around him, particularly Hidan who was in his face within a second. "After all that shit, we're just supposed to let him go because you have some shitty little project!?" his foul mouth as bad as ever. </p><p>Kakuzu joined in, the elder immortal glaring at Itachi from across the room as he rumbled out, "Do you have any idea how high his bounty is? If we give the other village's his head, we can afford new supplies for all the members." Itachi mentally found it doubtful that Kakuzu claimed he wouldn't end up keeping all the cash for himself.</p><p>Sasori didn't seem pleased either, though he didn't vocalize it. There wasn't a doubt in Itachi's mind that Sasori was planning on making Orochimaru part of his puppet collection. Deidara was much more vocal about his annoyance, the blond accusing, "You're trying to get in the way of my art!" his clay bombs already coming out of his sleeves. </p><p>Itachi had a feeling their anger would be turned onto him soon, and he wasn't the only one who felt it. He could see Kisame shifting beside him in a guarding manner, but luckily, it never came to that. He mentally let out a sigh of relief at his leader's words, glad he was one of the few members of the Akatsuki who would hear others out when they had something to say. "Very well, Itachi. I presume you'll deal with him when he's done assisting you?"</p><p>Itachi's head bobbed in agreement, noting, "I'll have the bounty picked up and return the body back to Sasori afterward." most of the Akatsuki members settling more as they heard that. </p><p>Orochimaru mentally snorted at Itachi's words. As soon as he was strong enough, he'd make a withdrawal into hiding. He wasn't delusional, though. He knew that would be a challenge with Kisame's well-honed sword at his throat and Itachi's even finer eyes watching over him. The snake was willing to bide his time, for now, staying submissive as Kakuzu jerked him upwards and over his shoulder. </p><p>Pain directed calmly, "Konan, I need you to go retrieve Zetsu from outside. He should be done dealing with any of the Rain Villagers who had attempted to send aid to Orochimaru." he would have to remind the shinobi to be more careful. He had somehow overlooked the two teens and allowed them to slip in. That could have cost them, had they been more focused on protecting Orochimaru and less so on fighting their massacre duo. "Have him create a temporary mortal body for Orochimaru to use. Bring it back here so he doesn't escape." he spoke seriously, Konan nodding in agreement. She swiftly left to do as he asked, Pain glancing at Itachi out of the corner of his eye. "Itachi, Kisame. You two focus on alleviating Itachi's eyes while we gather the information from him." </p><p>Itachi nodded slightly, understanding the silent permission to rest. He took the offer, seeing no point in straining his body more than necessary. He had a lot to settle within the next few days, after all.</p><p>While he never felt the need to act arrogant or prideful, he did know that it was foolish to let the other Akatsuki members see him wilt after a battle. Even if he had grown closer to them, to the point he would almost call them family, he still felt that ultimately it was a foolish idea. He couldn't let them think he was below them, lest their darker sides take hold. </p><p>As such, he nodded to Kisame, setting his shoulders to avoid them wobbling downwards. Now that the adrenaline was running out of his system, the elder Uchiha felt the familiar burn of his lungs; as though he had set the Amaterasu to slowly eat away at his insides. He walked smoothly for the door, his practiced impassivity laid calmly over his face as Kisame followed behind him. </p><p>He lead Kisame a few rooms over until he found an open space. The air cooled his enflamed lungs, the Uchiha finally letting out a shaky breath as they reached a balcony of sorts. He had learned long ago that Kisame was one of the few exceptions to the wilting rule. In fact, Itachi was certain that Kisame would be more displeased if he lied and assured his partner that everything was fine. Lying to Kisame was a surefire way to irk the Hoshigaki.</p><p>Even with all the experience Itachi had claimed over the years, he never was able to lie to Kisame. The elder shinobi could sniff out his lies before he even had a chance to tell them, Itachi mused as he felt Kisame's wide hand on the small of his back. Itachi leaned on the rail he had looked over, breathing in the earthy air of the Sound Village.</p><p>He looked up at the canopy of the underground hideout, eyeing the tree roots calmly as he took firm breaths, leaning on the rail and relaxing into Kisame's soothing touches on his back. It had been incredibly awkward the first few times it had happened, but by now, Itachi had grown used to the gruff hands running over his back as well as the warm trail that followed them around his shoulder, beckoning him to turn. Itachi's eyes slowly drifted closed, his breaths evening out as the mixture of semi-fresh air and Kisame calmed his lungs. The burning slowly subsided, fading into a dull ache in his chest.</p><p>Itachi took in one final deep breath, the Uchiha regaining posture as he eyed Kasame warmly over his shoulder. He turned to look up at the towering man, feeling Kisame's hands sliding to his face as the former Mist shinobi wiped the sticky crimson from his eyes with the utmost care. Calloused blue fingers worked in a mystifyingly tender manner, the shark swiping his fingers lightly across Itachi's face to clean up the smeared blood. Itachi remained as still as possible, as though the loving touch would disappear if he dared to move, despite knowing this wasn't the case. He allowed Kisame to wipe his bloodied face, dark eyes watching as Kisame's expression remained somber. </p><p>Once his face was cleared, Itachi felt Kisame move to tilt his chin up ever so lightly. Itachi obliged with relief, locking gazes with his partner as the Hoshigaki's lips tilted into a slight frown. "What's wrong?"</p>
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<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Hoshigakis Can't Lie</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Kisame is having first-time father panics rip</p>
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    <p>Kisame peered down at the younger ninja inquisitively with a slight frown. Itachi had yet to answer his question, but he could see the wheels turning rapidly in his partner's head. The Uchiha's colorless eyes were pooled with emotions, his seemingly incomprehensible expression an open book for the Hoshigaki written in a silent language that he was yet to fully decipher. After all, they had been fighting side by side for over a decade now. Despite Itachi's strong and silent demeanor, Kisame always knew when something more untoward than the usual cruelties of life was afoot by the weight of it all behind Itachi's eyes.</p><p>It was easy for Kisame to see the confliction in Itachi's eyes, his eyes glossed over with shock, anger, sadness, and...concern? The swordsmen had no idea what could have possibly shaken Itachi so much, the fight having gone over fairly well as far as he was concerned. Did it have something to do with the 'project' Itachi had mentioned earlier? Kisame didn't push him, knowing Itachi was never one who enjoyed having his thoughts rushed. It took a few moments for Itachi to gather his thoughts, Kisame staying still despite the uncomfortable feeling that churned in his gut.</p><p>Kisame stayed quiet, continuing to hold onto the former leaf ninja, one hand now coiled under his weakened partner's slender waist for support while the other continued to caress his cheek long after the blood had dried. He froze as he saw Itachi's lips part, the ravenet looking up at Kisame with that same look of confliction, though in his mind it had been steadied. Itachi seemed to swallow down his unease, stabling himself with one hand on Kisame's shoulder as he spoke, finally coming to a steady independent standing, "Orochimaru stole our DNA, back when he was in the Akatsuki." his words making their way into Kisame's mind as he turned his face down with a grimace.</p><p>The shark shinobi stared down in silence, listening as Itachi continued, "He's always wanted an Uchiha vessel. Back when he was still in the organization, do you remember me telling you about how he tried to steal my body?" Itachi seemed relieved as Kisame nodded subtly, though the Uchiha's brows quickly furrowed in displeasure. "I presume he wanted yours since the Hoshigaki clan is known as one of the most powerful clans in the seven nations. He must have wanted to combine them to make some sort of hybrid shinobi." his lips pressing together as he looked up at Kisame. "So he did."</p><p>Now, Kisame may not be as sharp as Itachi when it came to these sorts of things, but he wasn't a complete fool either. The implication was clear. The bulkier man narrowed his eyes at the thought, his mind flashing to the little firecracker he had fought less than an hour ago. </p><p>As Itachi spoke, the schism of what he had been hinting at began to fall into place. Why they hadn't ended the boys while the Akatsuki had them cornered. Why Orochimaru had made that ridiculous little quip about them coming to see their father. Why that kid-- Takashi, was it? -- had practically thrown himself at Kisame in such a clearly personal, and emotional manner. The way the other kid had been staring Itachi down with such awe only served to help this probability. It wasn't hard to believe, given Orochimaru's past actions and...hobbies.</p><p>After a moment, he spoke, his tone slightly uneven despite himself. His brow was lifted, the man needing final confirming to process, "You're saying that...you think that the two you let go...they're...they're our..." he swallowed hard at the invisible lump in his throat, "our children- to an extent at least-" his brows furrowing in disbelief at the prospect. Itachi's simple grim nod sent a million thoughts flying through his mind.</p><p>The most prominent of which being hell no. There was no way in hell this was happening. Even with this confirmation, Kisame found himself almost unable to accept such an idea. Ironically enough, it was for the very same reason that most supported the possibility. Orochimaru and his past actions. Orochimaru had never done anything to prove himself trustworthy. He was literally a snake on all levels! </p><p>"Itachi." Kisame began turning away, his hand moving to lightly rub the back of his head. This wasn't going to be a fun suggestion. "Orochimaru is literally a snake in every meaning of the word," he emphasized, seeing Itachi's displeased expression. "They're obviously from our clans, but that doesn't mean they're our children. Orochimaru probably lied to the kids if that's what they told you in your tsukuyomi or whatever." assuming a tsukuyomi was the only way they could have had this little conversation without anyone else in the room noticing. "He's lied before, he'll lie again. He's lying to you, to those kids, and secondhand to me!" he contended as he fueled his own theories in denial. </p><p>"It would have been easy for Orochimaru to use any patch of Uchiha and Hoshigaki DNA then claim it was ours! He could have lied to both the kids and they wouldn't have any way of knowing!" he spoke with disbelief. There are so many ways this could be a sham. "Or maybe they just said that the screw with you. It's obviously a useful pity technique and they knew we had them!" he exclaimed, then nodding in agreement with himself, seeming content with this logical loophole. </p><p>His sense of closure around the idea was crushed as he saw Itachi shaking his head back and forth, from over his shoulder. The shorter shinobi called up evidential points in counterargument, his tone was calm yet firm, "They seem to be around the right age. I joined the Akatsuki about fourteen or fifteen years ago, and you followed soon after. Orochimaru had already been after me by that point." The Uchiha lifted his hand to rest over his chin, eyes concentrated as he determined, "If Orochimaru was quick to obtain samples, he definitely would have had the time to craft them. After his initial failure in stealing mine, it would make sense for him to start seeking alternatives around the same point in time."</p><p>Kisame didn't have the chance to tell him it could have been circumstantial at best, Itachi continuing on allowing no time for cross-examination, "What's more, it would have been a lot of work for him to send someone out to go all the way to the land of fire and the land of mist just to gather our clan's DNA. There's no suitable reason why he wouldn't simply use the resources readily available to him. There would have been ample opportunities for him to obtain samples. With how the base is set up, he could have easily taken a fork or found a piece of our hair on a sofa at any time he pleased. There are a million different ways he could have retrieved our genetic code. Even a fumbling mad scientist like Orochimaru given enough time is bound to get lucky eventually."</p><p>As much as Kisame wanted to disagree, Itachi's points were as well thought out and presented as ever. It all made sense, but it was so unlikely! It was a one in a hundred chance this was the real deal! He sent Itachi a look of disagreement, though he didn't have any argument to shoot back with. Itachi took his lack of response to indicate he remained in disbelief, the Uchiha sighing as he crossed his arms, turning his gaze once again over the balcony and up to the rooted canopy. "The boy with the braids, Sho, had hair lighter than either of us." Itachi pointed out, and for a brief moment, Kisame thought perhaps Itachi might have settled on agreeing with him. This delusion was ripped away as Itachi looked over at him, his dark eyes narrowing in on Kisame's light ones. "You said your mother had turquoise hair. Lighter hair is a recessive gene. The kind that tends to skip a generation. Do you suppose this is simply a coincidence as well?" </p><p>Kisame barred his sharp teen, the larger shinobi crossing his own arms in return. Damn it. That was true, and it wasn't like turquoise hair was exactly common, even in the mist. Every piece fell perfectly into place. "Does it even really count?" he pressed as he reached for a new argument, "They were made in tubes. Aren't those more like...clones or something? Children aren't grown in test tubes Itachi! Their existence is probably more comparable to one of Sasori's meat puppets than an actual human being let alone OUR children!" he heaved, calming with a hint of embarrassment as even he himself hearing the words leave his lips knew they were far beyond entirely apathetic.</p><p>Itachi's suddenly dark face made Kisame wonder even further if he had said something horribly and irreparably wrong. "Kisame, I know you didn't see it, but I did. Those boys are anything but puppets, clones, or vessels." The Uchiha looking hurt as the thought crossed his mind. "They didn't realize I was aware of their discussion, since they had used their own mangekyou ability. They didn't realize that I had broken through, so I allowed them to believe I was frozen with everyone else. To them, they were alone speaking privately, but I saw everything. I stared on motionless as Sho was breaking down and bawling his eyes out because neither of us seemed hesitant to kill them, just as I had scorched his flesh. Takashi grabbing at my coat and shrieking into my eyes about how no one cared about them, and never would. It was as though the last grain of hope they held was snuffed out at that very moment right before their eyes." </p><p>As Itachi spoke, Kisame felt his resolve draining heavily. They had said all of this in that small fraction of a moment? Takashi had seemed pretty pissed off when Kisame hadn't reacted to his name with anything more than amusement, he thought. His calloused hands moved upwards pinching the bridge of his nose as he gritted out, "Itachi, even if they do feel and are by some weird turn of events our kids- we are the last people on earth who should be taking care of children! We have nothing to offer them but a dark pain-filled life and bitter death." He let out a slightly hysterical laugh of despair, the Hoshigaki turning back hoping to regain Itachi's gaze as well as his embrace. Itachi but lowered his gaze to the cages and odd machinery glinting below, otherwise motionless. Kisame placed a hand firmly upon each of Itachi's shoulders and, after pausing for a brief moment from fear of rejection, slowly slid them down to Itachi's elbows before giving just the slightest of tugs to his left one, begging Itachi to turn and accept the unspoken apology.</p><p>"I know you said that you had your reasons for ending your clan." not pushing too deeply into it, obviously. "Which were all very reasonable. Just as reasonable as my own when it comes to wiping out lies, if not more so." he emphasized, "Still, that's not how the rest of the world sees it. As far as anyone else is concerned, we lost our sanity, and our humanity, long ago. To a certain extent, maybe they're right. Even I have to agree that all men, by their inherent nature, are at least a little mad. We have to be to do the things we do. Either way, our lifestyle is nowhere near child-friendly. We're missing-ninja, hunted by all seven of the great nations. We take on S-Rank missions constantly, are far from the best role models, and we live in the Akatsuki hideout. Can you imagine raising a child around Hidan's foul mouth or Deidara's constant explosions? Then that's if they survived Kakuzu probably trying to steal their hearts from their chests or Sasori deciding they'll make good puppets. What happens when we leave for missions? Are we just supposed to leave them with Aunty Konan and Uncle Pain?" his words laced first with compassion became brutal honesty, then satire. </p><p>"Is the wild so much better?" Itachi turned on point and quirked a brow, gazing up at Kisame with an unconvinced look. It was fairly obvious to the Uchiha that the former mist shinobi was more trying to convince himself than anything. "Are you suggesting that it would be more merciful to allow them to die out in the middle of nowhere, under the impression they were completely alone in this world? Never having known that Orochimaru was far from the best that this world has to offer? Believing that the world Orochimaru caged them in was the best they could hope for? Then knowing it after we proved to them that we are in fact everything Orochimaru told them we were, and the world has only suffering to offer? To die without having known a reason to live is the most tragic of all ways to have existed." </p><p>Kisame glowered his own brow in return, Itachi's tone was a controlled calm despite the daggers in his words. Kisame slowly tilted his glower to the ground as he spoke, shadowing his eyes, "Better a wild animal or another shinobi bring a fast end to short-lived suffering. Far better than the starvation, dehydration, disease, betrayal, war...take your pick, that will surely keep them suffering every waking moment until the end comes." Itachi lowered his gaze to demand Kisame's eyes make contact, "Are you saying that's what you'd prefer? Would it be better for us to pretend they never crossed our paths and simply pretend they're already dead, then be grateful since it was the 'better' end? Nobody chooses what suffering is handed to them in life, but sometimes, we can choose to hand out compassion instead. This is a choice we each have to make for ourselves."</p><p>Kisame's face fell further as he heard this, sighing. "You know that's not what I'm saying, I never said I 'wanted' things to be how they are." he awkwardly brought up his hand to rest it on the back of his neck as he took a deep breath. "Itachi, even if we did go after them, it's pretty obvious they hate us. Or, even if they didn't before today, I'm sure they do how. You burnt Sho's shoulders off and I probably broke Takashi's arm! Not to count throwing him on his back while you sliced Sho up like confetti with those shurikens. Do you think we'll just walk right up to them say we're sorry and everything will be fine? Do you think they'll just accept that everything they've ever been told is a lie and forgive us?" Kisame mockingly imitated the boys' reactions, "'Oh, of course, we completely understand and forgive you, Dads! Please take us home so we can be one big happy family of Akatsuki assassins. You guys got any good stories about our grandparents?'" Sarcasm oozed from each word, much to Itachi's silent agony, recalling exactly how that story would be told. Kisame realized the deeper weight of what he had said and firmly grasped Itachi by the elbows with both hands in instant regret.</p><p>"I highly doubt it would go in exactly that fashion, but we aren't the ones who should be making that choice, are we? They at least deserve to know that there are options, to know that despite the cruelties of this world, compassion does exist when we create it. No matter how shitty of a job we do, I'm sure it couldn't be any worse than existing under Orochimaru's heel." Itachi pointed out, arms resigning to rest on Kisame's, gripping them in return as he spoke, holding eye contact with Kisame once more. Kisame let out a sigh of defeat and relief.</p><p>The former mist ninja muttered, "The bar isn't set very high, I will admit." shaking his head back and forth. Then with a hard quip, he exclaimed, "That snake shouldn't even be within a twelve-mile radius of a child, let alone raising two!" he tsked, "Fuck it; if we're gonna fuck this up we had better get to it. Who knows what kind of sick shit Orochimaru pulled raising them, better to end that suffering at least as quickly as possible. If we can create suffering, we too can create compassion and, just maybe, a little hope."</p><p>Receiving a vicing grip on the elbows from Kisame as the shark shinobi finally seemed to settle on the idea. Itachi gave a curt nod and the younger shinobi sharply locked the glare upon Kisame, quirking a brow intriguingly at his unfoldings. "I suppose we should get going, then?"</p><p>Kisame's grumble of "I suppose so." was surprisingly reassuring, the corner of the missing-nin's lips pinching upwards into a small smile in the corner of his mouth, despite himself. </p><p>0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0</p><p>It had been a lot harder to escape the sound than the boys had originally thought, though they supposed it made sense, given the chaos around them.</p><p>The echoes of silent despair no longer rang across the village walls, the prisoners calling out desperately for help as the news of the invaders spread. They called for anyone who passed them by-- whether they be ally or enemy. </p><p>Rapid steps of the villagers rang in the boys' ears, the free-roaming villagers pushing and shoving in an attempt to aid Orochimaru. After all, it wasn't as though they would be locked away if they had sworn their allegiance to Orochimaru. Which made it all the more terrifying as rounds of shinobi began demanding information from Takashi and Sho. Where was their master? Who had attacked? Was he still alive? </p><p>Takashi couldn't bring himself to answer these questions, the overwhelming situation pressing further and further upon him as he felt himself cornered with only Sho by his side. He grasped Sho's wrist firmly with his one good hand, pulling the younger ninja behind him as he saw the villagers begin to grow impatient. He barred his teeth, eyes narrowing as he warned, "Back up! Right now!" </p><p>This only seemed to press the villagers forward, one of them taking a step too close as she moved to grab Takashi's shirt, the teen forced to release his protective hold on Sho. The woman yanked the young shinobi forward, demanding with a snarl, "Listen, you're Orochimaru's brat, so you must have some sort of information on what's going on in there. Either spit it out or-" her words being cut off as a kunai landed square in her neck. </p><p>The crowd cried out in shock as blood began trickling down her throat, Takashi quickly using the chance to break out of her hold. He stepped back, swiftly landing beside Sho. He didn't have to look to know that his brother had been the one to throw the kunai. Sho took a step in front of Takashi, warning with a firm glare, "Stay back. I won't hesitate to deal you in if you touch us again." his sharingan blazing in alarm. </p><p>Takashi gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to pull Sho back as he saw the glowers from the villagers, all directed at the younger shinobi. Sho steadied himself, his defenses raised as he heard the ring of refusal from the crowd. He could hear them howling out in anger, one man calling, "You two think you're so much better than us just because Orochimaru's been training you? Injecting you with the power of other shinobi? Well, news flash, we are those other shinobi."</p><p>The two teens watched as a barrage of shinobi came at them from all sides, each of them pulling out their kekki genkai without hesitance. Sho moved swiftly as the attacks moved in, putting himself in front of Takashi as he blocked the attacks with ease. His eyes narrowed, remaining on the defensive as he saw snakes begin to slither around him. He didn't need to look over his shoulder to know that Takashi had decided the flow of this fight. </p><p>It seemed like they would have to kill the attacking villagers if they wanted to have time to get their things and leave before the battle between the Akatsuki and Orochimaru was over. He focused on knocking any villagers over who were fooling enough to try stepping on the snakes. This gave his brother ample opportunity to leap onto them, killing the enemies with even the tiniest bit of poison. </p><p>It didn't take long for the crowd to thin out, bodies beginning to fall around them, hitting the dirt. Those who continued to fight eventually fell, the bodies making it a bit harder for them to fight over top of. They pushed on none the less, the teens watching as the villagers either joined their dead allies or had the common sense to flee. </p><p>Sho let out a breath as he kicked a man's knee, watching him fall backward and onto his face. He glanced around, a feeling of relief washing over him as he saw the last of the crowd running in the opposite direction. He didn't bother looking over as the snakes swirled around the man's ankle, Takashi soon materializing beside his already convulsing body. </p><p>The elder of the two looked worn and tired, gripping his throat as he licked his dry lips. Takashi didn't miss a beat, holding onto Sho's wrist as he led him over the pile of bodies. "Come on. We have to hurry before their battle is over, or they might decide to kill us on the way out," he spoke with a frown. </p><p>As the two rushed for their rooms, they ran past the villagers, not paying them any mind. Sho ran with Takashi, ignoring the burning in his lungs as the post-battle pain began. His shoulders had already healed along with the numerous stab wounds from Itachi's shuriken. As much as he hated to admit it, the Hashirama cells did their work. </p><p>Unfortunately, it wasn't as though they could fix his respiratory issues. After all, that was ingrained in his DNA, something that could never be healed. Orochimaru's numerous tries had assured him of this bitter fact. That didn't make the burning feel any less suffocating as he ran through the village, though. </p><p>As they arrived, Takashi was quick to reach for their mission bags, gripping his tightly to his chest as he glanced around the room. Sho carefully picked his up, holding it in front of him as their mind raced to anything they might need while on the go.</p><p>"Get the blankets, your medication, and a pair of clothes for us, just in case," Takashi spoke firmly, his mind racing over the necessities. He hadn't expected for them to escape like this. He had thought that they would have more time-- that they would be able to pack when they had picked the date for the fight against Orochimaru. </p><p>Too bad the Akatsuki seemed to have their own plans, Takashi mentally grimaced, grabbing his weapons and looking them over. Okay, he had his necessary defenses. Sword? Yep. Shuriken? Got it. Kunai? Check. Wire? Mhm. He mentally checked off each item, slipping them onto his person. </p><p>Once he was sure he had all his weapons, he hurried to the other side of their living quarters. They'd need food if they wanted to make it all the way to the other side of the country. He halted in front of the pantry, eyes skimming over its containments. </p><p>His dark eyes landed on the nutrient bars and various canned foods, his lips curling into a look of disgust as his brows furrowed. Mealtime was always the most unpleasant time of the day, but he had long since learned that it was simply a necessary evil. As such, he didn't think much of it as he filled his bag with cans of seaweed, blueberries, potatoes, salmon, and a half-eaten loaf of whole-wheat bread. A few bottles of water were chucked in as well, the bag growing heavy soon after. </p><p>He whirled himself around as he heard a familiar voice behind him. "Takashi." His back arched, startled as he backed up and tilted his head to look up at a familiar pair of dark eyes. "You two seem to be in quite the rush," he heard his elder cousin drone on with the smallest hint of a smirk.</p><p>Glaring lightly at the elder boy, Takashi held onto his bag protectively. "...Orochimaru is sending us on a mission. It's really important, so we figured we should get going immediately." he nodded firmly, the lie flawlessly leaving his lips.</p><p>As skilled as he was at delivering a lie, it was honestly a shame he was so bad at coming up with reasonable ones. Sasuke quirked a brow, hand on his purple obi as he tilted his head, not believing it for even a moment. "Oh? It must be quite important for him to of given it to you as he was being assassinated." he jabbed, Sho slowly making his way over from the medical room. Sasuke's eyes darted to the bag of miscellaneous medical supplies he had shoved into the bag, sighing.</p><p>Sho approached with an almost timid look, the boy holding the bag to his chest as he squirmed, looking anywhere but at Sasuke. "...Uh. Yeah. He said it was important so. We should really. Go." his posture shrinking lightly as Sasuke took a bored step forward, drawing his blade and lightly flicking it in hands. He spun it dully, the elder teen eyeing the boys with an unimpressed gaze. They really hadn't gotten much of Itachi's acting skills, had they? Sho finally blurted as he saw the sword, "Lord Orochimaru said you aren't allowed to talk to us!"</p><p>His attempts at wavering Sasuke failed as the elder mused, "Oh? I'd be glad to go with you if you want to bring me to Lord Orochimaru for punishment. Should we?" he offered, and the look of confliction on Sho's face made Sasuke's cold habits flicker. Damn it, why did his bastard of a brother have to have such naive children?</p><p>Takashi groaned as their lie was obviously exposed, the boy's sharp teen grounding together as he threw his hands by his side, bags still held tightly by a strong grip. "Fine! We're leaving! Okay? We went to fight Orochimaru, saw it was the Akatsuki, and tried to fight our dads!" Sasuke quirking a brow at his words, but not commenting as the teen spoke with heated humiliation, "Both of us lost by a landslide because they might as well be fucking demi-gods, so we're leaving! If Orochimaru wins, fine. Let him come drag us back here and deal us in. If the Akatsuki wins, problem solved! They wanted to kill us, and we don't want anything to do with them." he aggressively whispered with certainty, allowing his hands to express his annoyance by flailing the bag around in his now vice grip.</p><p>Seeing Sasuke's contemplative look, Takashi and Sho stayed quiet, letting out a pair of soft breaths when Sasuke turned on his heel, musing, "I warned you two to stay away from your parents. So has Orochimaru." tilting his head back to look at them as he stood in the doorway, he added, "I presume he let you two go." a pair of nods left the kids, Sasuke shaking his head back and forth as he stood with his back to them. "He only does that when he doesn't see you worthy of dying by his hand. So I highly doubt he'll seek you out once the battle is over. You two should be safe to go...where ever you go. Not sure about Kisame, though." a light smirk lacing his lips as he added, "That's assuming they survive me. If I were you, I'd take this as your chance to escape." the elder leaving little room for response as he headed out, presumably to kill Itachi while he was weakened. </p><p>Takashi couldn't force himself to care anymore as they were left to finish grabbing supplies alone.</p>
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